ANTH367 - ETRUSCAN ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

The Etruscans, who spoke a language unlike any others known, were cast by their Greek and Roman rivals as outsiders and enemies: pirates, lovers of luxury, loose women. Today we must rely on the archaeological evidence of painted tombs, decorated Tuscan temples and massive engineering works to correct the picture. The course will survey a millennium (1st millennium BCE) of Etruscan culture through archaeological sites, shipwrecks and trading posts, works of art and everyday material culture, including the landscape and built environment, technology, seafaring and war, women's world, and the unique religion for which Etruria was famous, ending with a surprising array of examples of Etruscan heritage embraced by society from the time of Augustus to the present day.